No matter the size of your business, large or small, talent is the key to achieving your business goals. However, since this is true for every business, it translates to a sea of competitors all vying for the same limited talent pool. How then can you stay ahead of the competition and become an enterprise that attracts top talent? It starts with engagement. Engaging talent isn’t something that just happens. In today’s hyper-competitive job economy, attracting the best talent requires a proactive approach. This means consistently building meaningful relationships with candidates earlier in the recruiting process. To that end, we have created this list of five ways to engage top talent in the recruiting process.
What is Candidate Engagement?
Put simply, candidate engagement is the process of building personal relationships with your candidates. Candidate engagement isn’t just sending text messages or implementing AI software. It should encompass every step of the recruiting and hiring process and be used as a key driver for the overall candidate experience. One study done by CareerBuilder showed that 80% of candidates use the hiring process to determine how a company will treat its employees.
In the digital age of social media and job boards, a negative recruiting experience can spread like wildfire with the simple click of a button. A chain reaction that is best avoided when you consider that 50% of candidates say they wouldn’t work for a company with a bad reputation – even for a pay increase. Today’s candidates don’t have time to waste with a prospective employer who takes too long to hire, doesn’t communicate effectively, or gives a disorganized first impression. In the current employment market, top candidates have the opportunity to selectively choose the companies they wish to work with, not vice versa. So, how do you keep candidates engaged?
Show Them You’re a Great Employer to Work For
Showing potential candidates what working for your company it’s actually like is an effective way to get them excited before the application process even begins. It’s called Employer Branding, and it describes your reputation as an employer and communicates that your company is a great place to work. Get candidates, even passive ones, engaged and excited about working for your brand before the hiring process even begins with well-targeted content. By sharing employee testimonials, showcasing work-related events, and spotlighting ways your company gives back to its community you can create a positive impression.
Leverage Your Current Employees
According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, employee voice is 3x more credible than corporate messaging when it comes to talking about what it’s like to work for a company. Your current employees are your strongest brand ambassadors and prospective hires want to connect authentically through them. After all, who better to speak about a day in the life, and your company’s mission and culture than those who are living and breathing it every day?
Create Engaging Ads
Your job advertisement is the first official touchpoint between you and your next potential employee. In the competitive world of recruitment, first impressions are everything, and as the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Creating an engaging job advertisement is more than just listing the benefits of the role. It is about communicating the central requirements and responsibilities of a role with engaging content while demonstrating your unique brand identity. Working with Work4 and our job board products can be the first step to cultivating a strong brand through job advertisements. Our proprietary system is designed to help you stand out amongst competing employers by targeting specific audiences to get job ads in front of more qualified and engaged candidates.
Follow up With Candidates Early and Often
This is where many employers fall short of candidate expectations. However, taking the time to keep your candidates engaged throughout the hiring journey can significantly improve the quality and quantity of your intake levels. Throughout the hiring process, follow-up with candidates :
- With invitations to open days or hiring events
- Immediately following the interview experience
- While they are still in the consideration stage
- When updating about their application status
- When requesting additional or follow-up interviews
- When making them a job offer
- To provide them with feedback
How you treat job candidates, even the ones you don’t hire broadcasts a clear message about your companies values and culture. Keeping candidates engaged can be especially important for companies whose recruitment process is lengthier. According to research by the Talent Board, candidates are 52% more likely to refer a company to others, apply again, and even make purchases as a customer if they receive job-related feedback the same day as their interview. And, although the follow-up process can appear overwhelming at first, there are plenty of technology solutions available to help you manage the process. Up next, we’ll touch on them.
Invest in Technology
Today’s digital technology has made it possible for employers to streamline and speed up their recruitment processes without compromising integrity. With the advent of AI, many recruiting software platforms can run intuitively without the need for human intervention. Here are some of the top technologies to help you engage with your candidates every step of the way:
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) or talent management systems
An ATS is a type of recruiting software that helps to standardize the hiring process across the board. The use of an applicant tracking system can allow recruiters to see all the information and metrics they need with a click of a button. From resume importing and parsing to interview scheduling, email marketing, and candidate tracking an ATS is designed to improve the hiring process for both recruiters and candidates. Many organizations use applicant tracking systems, in fact, more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies currently use some form of ATS.
Candidate relationship management software (CRM)
Building the right kind of interaction with candidates from the start leads to maximum engagement. A CRM tool will allow you to create a profile for each candidate that compiles their contact info, a precise record of their journey, and other key facts. Most CRMs are customizable and feature smart recording and tracking functionalities. They can help to simplify the process of keeping candidates as engaged and proactive as possible.
Application programming interface (API)
An application programming interface is a type of software that allows your different HR programs to interact with one another. There are countless pieces of software that can help automate each step of the hiring process, but each system will have its own rules, compatibility limitations, and reporting options. An API allows all of their systems to function as a single entity. With an API you can streamline recruiting management processes, including recruitment marketing, applicant source tracking, reporting and more.
Work4 Systems
From our candidate lead generation system to our job board solutions and new candidate nurturing program we offer everyday technology solutions to your candidate recruitment, engagement, and nurturing needs.
A Final Word
Keeping candidates engaged throughout the job search process can be challenging, but it’s crucial in achieving your hiring goals. Understanding how you can engage talent and prioritizing it in your recruitment strategy will help to set your brand apart in the talent acquisition game. Implement these five candidate engagement strategies to better engage your potential candidates, learn more about them, and attract the ones that are most likely to be a good fit for your company.
Ready to transform your hiring process? Contact Work4 today.
